Training recap – w/c 9/5

So last week was week 1 of 12 in the lead up to my 100 mile cycle. Training went quite well. I completed 3 spin classes and had a 60 min PT session which focused on my legs and core (and boy I felt sore afterwards)!

Last weekend I was mean’t to ride in Richmond Park, but in the end I was house hunting – looking into new areas to move too as me and my husband plan on making the move out of the big smoke. However, I do intend on cycling in the park this weekend as I am keen to get out on my bike, rather than just hitting the spin classes at the gym.

Here are my training stats for last week:

• Mon – Spin class. 45 min. Cals 437. 11.5 miles covered. RPM 80-95. Avg heart rate 151
• Tue – Rest day
• Wed – Spin class. 45 mins. Cals 400. 11.5 miles covered. RPM 80-90. Avg heart rate 158
• Thurs -(Virtual) Spin class. 30 mins. Cals 270. 13.5 miles covered. RPM 95-100. Avg heart rate 155
• Fri – PT session inc burpees, plank, deadlifts, weighted squats. Cals 302. Avg heart rate 120.
• Sat – House hunting
• Sun – Rest day

This week’s training has been good so far, which I will recap here next week and hopefully I can also chuck in some pictures of Richmond Park too!

Run recap: Great Newham London 10K

So yesterday i took part in my first race of 2015. I ran the Great Run, Newham London. The route was around the Olympic park taking in the sites and finishing with a lap in the actual stadium. I have to say it was definitely was something finishing the final lap in the stadium in front of the crowd and in the same place as Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Jessica Enis. It felt quite special. As you run into the stadium and look up, something inside says speed up, you’ve got this.

Overall I found the run quite difficult. My running has been very inconsistent this year and my fitness levels are not great. Yesterday’s run was a mixture of running and some walking. I felt good for the first 4k but got very uncomfortable as I headed into the 6k mark. I was thankful to pause for a water stop at 6k but that pause also mean’t that 6-9k was a run / walk /run until the final kilometer. After all, no one wants to be the walker on the same track where super Saturday happened! My final kilometer was fast as I wanted to look strong, but another part of me just wanted it to be over, so I was thankful when I did cross line as I felt very tired. My overall finish time was better than I thought it would be (it was not my slowest 10k) but it was not as good last year when I could run the same distance in under an hour.

The race also allowed me to use my new Tom Tom multi sports watch, which was great as I didn’t need to hold my phone to track my run. The watch simply synced with my Nike + afterwards (see below). Very happy with that purchase as I hate having to hold my phone running. So now I don’t have too. 🙂

Run report

Couch to 5k run update

   

hot and sweaty afterwards!

Today’s run /walk went well today. The sun was shining and boy was it warm! It felt good to be outside working on my fitness. The couch to 5k session today felt a bit too easy so instead of walking for the 5min warm up, I ran and I also ran for part of the 5 min cool down. For the shorter run bursts, I ran faster and it felt good having the energy for turning the session into a bit of an interval one.  I really hope come the end of eight weeks I will be back up to speed with running 5k more comfortably. 

Refresh

Training I am coming back!

So its been pretty much 7 months since last my last post. For a while I’ve wanted to check in and write that I am still alive, but towards the end of last year so much other stuff took over that posting on here simply got pushed further and further back.

Disappointingly the journey I was on with my training and improving my fitness stopped as I allowed work and wedding planning to take over. For sometime now I have wondered what to write as my comeback post and had got to the point where I had been wondering whether to delete this blog altogether.

I started Challenge Kate to document my training for my first triathlon which I completed last year just before my last post. Yet, reading back through the posts it would seem like a sad thing to simply delete something that meant and still means a lot too me. Reading through the posts I remember the journey and how amazing it felt to complete something that seemed so unimaginable nearly two years ago. I remember not being able to sleep after completing my first triathlon as my mind whirled with ‘I did it, I really did it.’ I felt really happy.

From reading through all my past posts I’ve decided that I can’t just give up. I need to dust myself off and resume with my training and improving my fitness. I need to pick up on the momentum I gained last August.

Annoyingly I will be starting from the beginning in terms of my fitness levels but I do have one thing under my belt in that I’ve done it once and can most certainly do it again and should aim to do it better!

Last nights run home

10k DONE!

Last night I was determined to get my run home completed – come rain or shine. Thankfully the rain finally let up and I managed to complete my 10k run in under an hour. My pace was a consistent 9 1/2 min mile not the fastest but not too shabby either. However, I felt quite tired and realised that I wasn’t very well hydrated – rookie error I know, its amazing how much better you can run when you have drunk the right amount of water- but all in all happy I am to have completed it.

Tonight is a spin class which I feel will be hard after being lazy yer again last week. I am determined to be better this week.

Tonight’s Run Done!

Run Home

Another good run home on Tuesday – just under 6 miles done in 53 minutes! Very happy with that time and my speed. My pace was consistent and there was no stopping to walk.  🙂

 

Lacklustre

Get back to it!

This week has turned into a bit of an nothingness week exercise wise. The week started on a high in that I finally had a better 10k run, then Tuesday my swim never happened. I woke up late and simply decided to slack it off. Not a great attitude but I felt so tired when my alarm went off at 6am that I managed to end up sleeping soundly for another 90 mins before having the ‘cr*p I am late for work rush around!’ Wednesday I regained my mojo and went spinning which was brutal, but I am totally loving my local spin class. Sophie the instructor is fantastic, she has so much energy and really makes you work but at the same you can see that she is really working herself too. Then Thursday I felt tired and very achy and again there was no swim. No excuse other than laziness on my side. So, today I made myself go out for a 5k run at lunch, as I have spent all week just sat at my desk, not really moving around and as well as not moving, I have been eating more than I should. *Doh!

Instead of beating myself up I think I will give myself this week off (we’re all allowed a week off and my boyfriend seems happier in that I have been home at a normal time and that we have actually socialized together). Next week I need to get back into the routine properly – being active and getting back into the pool as well as eating better – as my next challenge is buying a wedding dress for my wedding in November. I am now officially 12 weeks out from my wedding and I have the final 7lbs to loose!

New trainers

New Runners – Nike Lunarglide

I have treated myself to some new trainers and wow after wearing them for last night’s run, I realised that I have been running for a quite a while in worn out shoes! I felt like I was running on air! Very happy with these babies, even if they are a bit bright. 🙂

Finally a better 10K

Getting my running legs on!

After a number of weeks of the most dismal longer runs, last night I had a more successful run home from work. 🙂 10k is a distance that  I can do, albeit not the fastest but I have enough stamina to complete. But of late its been beyond crappy.

I try to do this distance once a week and then do shorter 5k runs during the week. The 5k runs are fine, yet recently when I get 2 1/2 miles into my 10k run home, my body hurts, my legs ache and my mind says no. For a number of weeks on my run home I have found myself getting to Chelsea bridge then walking across it and from there my run becomes a mixture of running and walking. By the time I get to Clapham Common the last mile becomes so slow a tortoise can pass me at speed. It been quite a confidence knock and I have been wondering for a while on what to do.

So last nights run was just the boost I needed. I completed the 10k in 55 mins and the only stopping was at traffic lights. Hurrah! While last nights run might have been a fluke, I have also downloaded the 10k runner app to practice – whilst designed to get you to a 10k distance, I am thinking it might help me in building up my stamina / speed as well as mentally helping me get through the ‘I cannot do this moments’. Here’s hoping my 10k mojo returns permanently!

London Triathlon – Photos

Here are some photos from last Saturday’s London Triathlon. Still amazed I actually completed it!!!